Participants in the Citizens Police Academy are getting up close and personal with situations officers face on the job. On Tuesday, they simulated the use of force in a variety of different scenarios, to see what it's like in the real world.
This interactive training showed participants what it's like to react and make split second decisions.
Kent Steglich had seconds to decide whether to shoot.
"We went in one by one into basically a robbery in progress, what do you do if you have a weapon?" said Kent Steglich, a participant with the Citizens Police Academy.
Jay Hawkins, the Training Manager at Reno Guns & Range said, "Without having that experience or that exposure, we're going to have to improvise should something happen."
The simulation inside a store showed what police officers might encounter in their jobs. Steglich isn't a police officer, but he is a member of the Citizens Police Academy. The program spans several weeks with different topics. Tuesday's training focused on the use of force.
"Most people if they have a weapon they automatically assume you're going to shoot somebody. And that's not always the best option," said Steglich.
Some tried to take cover, others showed hesitation, and a majority of people proceeded to shoot the person with the gun on the screen. But lethal force is not always necessary.
"Consider the options. If my intuition, if you hear that noise that something isn't right, step back, find out what it is," said Hawkins.
The virtual reality demonstrates hundreds of scenarios from traffic stops, to domestic disputes, to active shooter situations like this one. Trainers want to stress there's always a way to try to deescalate a situation.
Hawkins said, "We want to empower them to understand that they don't have to be victims."
For Steglich, he's leaving the class with a better understanding of what police officers do everyday.
"It's been an eye opening experience, this whole course has been and what it's like from the other side," said Steglich.
Participants in this Citizens Police Academy will graduate in two weeks.
To Join the Next Session: https://www.washoesheriff.com/sub.php?page=regional-citizens-police-academy&expand=Volunteers
